Hi, I was just checking out some drum head threads and began to wonder this. Bass drum tuning isn't my best skill. Right now I have a EMAD2 batter that I don't really care for - makes it sound like I hear the head, not the drum. I believe I have it tuned JAW, but it still sounds like I'm hitting plastic.

On another note, I like the way my head looks on the front with the Gretsch logo and everything and it seems to be a decent head - but is this really something I should think about changing?? I don't what to think.

I do not care for JAW tuning. I usually tune up the bass drum heads a bit. I also think the bass drum reso head matters. I put an Evans EQ3 Reso on my Gretsch bass drum. Then I bought a decal from Gretsch and applied it; it looks great. Peace and goodwill.

Not sure what drum you have. My Renown came with an unported black EQ3 reso which I cut a hole in fairly quickly. I ended up changing it for a ported white EQ3 and getting a Gretsch decal for that because I liked the traditional look of the white head.

I have used an EMAD with either the small foam ring or the ring removed entirely. When I got the Renown, the combination of the EMAD with the large ring and the unported front head made the drum boomy and thumpy at a much higher note than I wanted. I put a SuperKickII on that I had laying around and the note went down low, but you could feel the whole drum vibrating though the pedal. Porting the reso solved that and it kind of had a Chad Smith kind of sound. Which I love. A deep fundamental, good attack and nice quick decay but with a discernible note. Since then I've been going to a jam and sitting in on a early '80s Gretsch kit that the guy has a standard batter with the old fashioned felt strip for damping, and a ported EQ3 reso. The drum sounds amazing. But I learned that it sounded boomier behind the kit than mine while socking you in the gut in the room as if it was mic'd though subs. So I started tuning the SK higher and getting more sustain out of it for gigs where I wasn't mic'd. Hearing other folks sitting in on my kit, I found that this does carry into the room much better than a low thwap (which I still like for recording). My next move will be to get an EQ3 or PowerStroke for the batter and try that longer sound at gigs.
You never know what will work until you try it. And as my friend with the Gretschs pointed out, it changes in every room.

I use the EMAD I batter because of the flexibility of dampening options. Thickest foam ring for small practice room at home, thinner foam ring for slightly larger spaces, no ring at all for big rooms and louder stage volumes. Of course, the "liveness" of the room's reflectivity and the number of bodies factors in too, but I can quickly adjust with this head.

I also try and tune to the shell so that the drum sounds alive. This is higher indeed than JAW, but not crazy high.

I play an 18" X 16" maple Yamaha kick with the stock reso head. When I have heard others play my kit from out front, it sounds great.